China concluded its latest scientific expedition in the eastern Indian Ocean while its geophysical scientific research vessel Shiyan-6 returned to a port in Guangzhou City, south China's Guangdong Province, on Friday.
Organized by the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the vessel carrying 37 scientists from 13 organizations with 28 research projects started the expeditionary voyage on September 10.
Chinese scientific research vessel Shiyan-6 arrives near a port in Colombo, Sri Lanka, October 25, 2023. /CFP
The 83-day expedition covered a total range of about 25,300 kilometers.
During the voyage, the scientists carried out multidisciplinary tasks, including hydrometeorological observation, marine sediment collection, biochemistry, atmospheric aerosol and submarine seismic collection and investigation. They obtained a large number of on-site observation data and samples, such as 154 batches of seawater samples.
The exploration aims to reveal the mechanisms by which dynamic processes affect biogeochemical cycles, ecosystems and sedimentary processes in that region, clarify the geographical pattern of biodiversity in the area, uncover the response and indicative role of biological communities to physical processes, as well as better understand paleoclimate changes.